SUSTAINABILITY
THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOLAR
R
oof top solar power is becoming more and more a feature of the UK’s housing sock. Nearly one million homes across the country have
it in some form, supplying them naturally generated, low-cost clean electricity to meet or even exceed the needs of an average family. Breedon Group launched into this burgeoning sector with a collaboration with Terran, a leading European roof tile manufacturer. A third-generation family- owned business, Terran has been at the forefront of roofing product innovation since 1920, and over the past five years has successfully developed and distributed the Generon roof tile across Europe. A whole roof concept, Generon uses standard size concrete roof tiles with discreetly integrated PV cells to create a beautiful energy-generating roof without compromising aesthetics. And whereas Generon presents a new solution capable of generating all the clean electricity a typical house would ever need, it is installed like standard roof tiles, by professional roofing contractors. . Breedon Generon comprises a 3.2mm monocrystalline tempered glass PV cell discreetly integrated with a Breedon Elite 330mm x 420mm base concrete roof tile which is laid in sequence with matching standard roof tiles. Interconnecting cables then link the Generon tiles to create an overall solar output based on the number of tiles fitted. Typically, 260 tiles are required to generate a 4kW PV system - the benchmark for family homes.
Fitted by roofing contractors in an almost identical way to traditional roof tiles, the Generon system then simply connects to the remaining PV infrastructure to generate safe, reliable and renewable energy. This combination delivers a seamlessly integrated solar roof, without compromising aesthetics – a key attribute specifically designed to appeal to architects/specifiers and homeowners who,
Breedon Group’s new solar roof system Generon is the next step in expanding the solar roof tile market, as BMJ finds out.
when questioned during research, wanted their home to generate solar energy but disliked the appearance of traditional solar panels, or even the more recent integrated solar systems. Unlike traditional solar panels, Generon solar roof tiles offer a sleek and seamless design that blends in with the rest of the roof, whilst delivering high levels of performance. They also eliminate the need for separate contractors to install solar panels and their associated mounting materials as they can be easily installed by a roofing contractor using storm clips in sequence with the standard concrete roof tiles, thus reducing the time and overall cost of installation.
The Generon design is centred around three key fundamentals of aesthetics, safety and durability. With the 4mm solar PV surface securely attached to a base concrete rooftile, the rooftiles are laid in sequence with matching non-PV rooftiles. Interconnecting cables link the Generon tiles to create an overall solar output based on the number of tiles fitted. Typically, 260 tiles – approximately 10sq m - are required to generate a 4kW PV system, which is the benchmark for family homes. Once fitted the Generon system then simply connects to the remaining PV infrastructure, to generate safe, reliable and renewable energy for the
June 2024 A supplement to builders merchants journal
home. This combination delivers a seamlessly integrated solar roof, without any aesthetic compromise for the homeowner. Morris explains that the integrated solar roof tiles blend in seamlessly with the rest of the roofline, providing a sleek and uniform appearance that complements the original architectural style of the home, rather than sitting on top of the rest of the roof. “There is also no need for separate contractors to install solar panels, as they can be easily installed by a roofing contractor in sequence with the standard concrete roof tiles, meaning installation is both speedier and less costly,” he says.
Generon has been designed and tested to be highly durable and withstand harsh weather conditions, including heavy rain, hail and high winds. Such solar roof tiles typically have longer lifespans than traditional solar panels and require less maintenance over time, owing to the securely integrated nature of their design. Sleek and smooth in situ, the Generon system carries a 20-year performance guarantee, and has a dedicated home owner app to track real- time data about its energy production. “The Generon system offers building owners the opportunity to capitalise on the growing renewables market and specifiers the chance to help their customers to meet Part L of the Building Regulations.
“By investing in Generon, we have committed to becoming a leader in this new market by delivering the first roof top solar system which delivers cheap renewable energy, whilst maintaining the aesthetic integrity of the house.”
Growth forecasts for Generon are therefore very promising, with many industry analysts predicting double-digit annual growth for the adoption of solar systems for the next decade. n
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